14 THE USEFUL BIRDS 



laid another clutch. The first set of eggs was poorly 

 developed, and fairly easily blown. Between the laying of 

 the two sets of eggs there was an interval of some fourteen 

 days, including the time occupied in depositing the second 

 clutch." 



Nest. — Similar in every way to the previous species. Both 

 are placed in the forks of perpendicular branches. 



Eggs.— The specimens taken from five different nests show 

 very varying differences. The ground colour will be pale 

 green or brown ; the spots may be lilac or chestnut, and the 

 streaks of the same. Clutch, 3. Length, 1.5 inches; breadth, 

 1.1 inches. 



MAGPIE-LARK 



(Mud -Lark, Pe-wit), 



GraKina picata, Lath. 



Gra-li'-na pik-a'ia. 



GrallcB, stilts ; pica, a magpie. 



Grallina australis, Gould, '* Birds of Australia," fol., vol. ii., pi. 54. 



Geographical Distribution. — Areas 1 to 9 inclusive ; accidental in 5. 



Key to the Species. — Breast black; under parts ' pure white; 

 throat white in female, black in male ; upper surface black ; bill 

 broader than it is high ; second primary longer than the second- 

 aries. 



This is a broadly distributed and most useful species. Fruit- 

 growers and market gardeners have learned to recognize its 

 value and welcome its company in their areas, for this so- 

 called Mud-Lark adds greatly to the life of a place with its 

 pretty " pe-wit " and graceful ways. The Western Austrahan 

 birds vary in their call notes very considerably from those of 

 Eastern Australia. 



